Electric bowling game



Jan. 2, 1951 w, CRONK 2,536,538

ELECTRIC BOWLING GAME 7 Filed May 25, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 @519), IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY R. w. cRoNK ELECTRIC BOWLING GAME Jan. 2, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 25, 1946 R wm w hm Q in x w INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 1951 R. w. CRONK 2,536,538

ELECTRIC BOWLING GAME Filed May 25, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 m f W w 9% INVENTOR.

A TTOR/VE Y Patented Jan. 2, 1951 ELECTRIC B LING G Robert W. Crank, Denville, N. J., assignor, by

inesne assignments, to Sutphen Products Cor.- pora io ew York, Y. a corporati n o N w York Application May 25, 1946, Serial No. 672,309

9 Claims- 1 This invention relates generally to amusement apparatus and more particularly to a novel form of bowling game.

A prime object of the invention is to provide a novel target or objective for use in a ball roll,- ing game, especially a simulated bowling game, .in which the tenpins are dispensed with in their customary form and replaced by illuminated representations of pins and by movable discs disposed to be engaged by a ball rolled over the surface of the playboard so as to designate the positions of the several pins as the same are sot up or spotted in the customary triangular array in an actual bowling game, the player exercising his skill in directing a bowling ball at the array of illuminated representations in an effort. to efiect a strike or to engage as many of the movable discs as possible, all in simulation of actual bowling practice, and wherein switch means are situated with respect to the movable .disQS d as to be actuated by said discs when the latter are en a ed by the bowling ball.

A specific ob ct t pro id in a bowlin .1 ame or the i a plura ity of movable discs fo m g Pa Qi h Pl ing suriace of the alley to de ig te the p s ons. o the s tt d or racked bowling pins, a playboard at the rear of the a ey hav n r pr sen ion o tenpins arranged to simulate the racked positions of bowl ing pins with lamps to illuminate said reprefientations and switch means arranged with respect to the several movable discs so as to be actuated by said discs when the latter are ensimulation of the arrangement of bowling pins as set up in regulation bowling and disposed to be actuatedby a ball rolled over the playing surface, secondary switch control members disposed to be actuated by the ball rolled over said playing surface, and switch means controlled by the rolling of a ball into contact with said control members to be connected in a circuit for electrical indicating mechanism to indicate the knocking down of one or more bowling pins.

Still another object is to provide a game of this character that is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, pleasing in appearance and effective in testing a players bowling skill.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in the arrangement and combination of parts as hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a bowling game embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front end view of the apparatus.

Figure 4 is a detail rear view of the lamp housing with the cover in open position.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of the 1ine.55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the plane of the line 6- 6 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a diagram of the electrical circuits.

Figure 8 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of the plate for supporting the disc members.

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken on the plane of the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

- Figures 10 to 19, inclusive, are detail views showing the various disc members which form the switch actuating means.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus in.- cludes a smooth playboard or alley I of any suitiable length and width supported'on legs 2 and bounded on its sides by walls 3. At the rear end of the alley is a transverse .pit, 4 into which the bowled ball rolls from 'theboard for movement into a longitudinally directed ball return gutter .5 centrally supported beneath the alley by brackets E and inclined toward the frontof the alley and by means of which the bowled ball is automatically returned for reuse at the front of the board or alley.

Instead of using bowling pins or tenpins as in the usual bowling game, the invention provides in lieu thereof a plurality of representations! of bowling pins as shown in Figure 3 adapted to be illuminated as hereinafter described. The representations are cute'out of a plate 8 of any suitable opaque material and are arranged in the familiar triangular array of bowling pins or tenpins. The plate 8 is supported in a vertical plane between two panes 9 of glass or other suitable transparent material, suitably mounted in the front of a housing 10. The housing is sup ported on a transverse hollow box-like structure H at the rear of the pit 4. The box II has a movable front wall [2 and a fixed rear via-1113 witha compartment M therebetween.

Also preferably cut out of the plate 8 and extending across the top of the representations of the pins is the word Strike and similarly formed and arranged below the pins is the word VSpareJ In the rear of the plate 8, the housing is divided-by vertical and horizontal partitions into compartments l5 at each side of the housing and extending to the height thereof and into transverse compartments |6 between the compartments l5 at the top and bottom of the housing. Between the compartments l5 and I6 are ten vertically disposed compartments arranged to simulate the ordinary array of bowling pins, and between the individual compartments H in the upper row of said compartments are three smaller compartments l8.

The housing I!) is provided with a movable rear cover I9 hinged to the rear wall of the box II as the lamps 2| and a similar pair of lamps 23 below the lamps 2|. The vertically disposed lamps are spaced and arranged to correspond with the spacing and arrangement of the compartments and the horizontally disposed lamps 22 and 23 are arranged to correspond with the compartments l6 so that when the cover is closed as in Figure 5, the individual lamps 2| are housed in separate compartments and'are in alignment with the representations 1, the horizontally disposed lamps 22 are housed inthe upper compartment IS in alignment with the word Strike and the horizontally disposed lamps 23 are housed in the lower compartment I6 in alignment with the word Spare. The lamps are .operatively connected to a source of electromotive force such as the house supply but such connections are only shown diagrammatically in Figure 7.

Also mounted on the inner surface of the cover l9 along its side edges are a number of relay devices 24, which are in'circuit with the lamps. These relays are housed in the side compartments l5 when the cover is closed.

The alley adjacent its rear end where the tenpins are ordinarily positioned is formed with a cutout portion and secured in this cutout portion by means'of bolts 25 is a plate 26. This plate has a number of openings 21 and countersunk or recessed portions 28' in the top thereof. vThe openings with their recesses are arranged in the familiar triangular array of bowling pins or tenpins. Supported by plate 26 and spaced downwardly therefrom by means of bolts 29 is another plate 33 having openings 3| corresponding in number to and in alignment with the openings 21 in plate 26.

Depending below and secured to the lower plate 30 by means of brackets 32 are a number of microswitches 33, said switches being disposed 7 under and in alignment with the openings 3| in ing 38 mounted in the threaded opening 3| of the lower plate 30. A helical spring 39 encircles each stem and is interposed between the hub portion and the bushing to maintain the disc member in a position with its upper surface flush with the upper surface of the alley. Carried by the bottom end of each stem is a screw member 40 the lower end of which is in engagement with the movable contact of the switch 33 for actuating said switch.

The threaded bushing is adapted to adjust the tension of the spring and thereby the height of the disc member; The screw member 40 is adapted to adjust the pressure on the switch and may be provided with a nut 4| to hold the parts in adjusted position.

As will be apparent from Figures 10 to 19, inclusive, the disc portions of the various disc members are of various shapes and sizes and the hub portions are of various sizes torfit in the various sized recesses and openings in the plate 26.

The disc member 42 shown in Figures 10 and 11 has an arcuate-shaped slot 43 formed in the periphery of its disc portion and is arranged to ber has oppositely disposed arcuate-shaped peripheral slots 46 and 47 in its disc portion and suchwa disc member ismounted in each of :the intermediate openings 48 in the upper two rows of openings in Figure 8 and is arranged to actuate the one of the switches 33 that is'designated 45a. in Figure 7.

A disc member 49 such as shown in Figures 12' and 13 constituting a secondary switch control member is mounted in each ofthe openings 50 between'the openings 44 arid, the disc portion thereof being positioned in the space between the arcuate-shaped portions of adjacent disc mernbers and said disc member being arranged to actuate one of the switches'33 that are designated 49a in Figure 7, V

A' headjdisc member 5| representing thehead', apex or king pin as shown in Figures 16 and 17 and also constituting a primary switch control member has its disc portion formed with arcuate-shaped peripheral slots 52 disposed opposite to each other but above the center of the disc portion and smaller than the slots in the disc portions of disc members 42 and 45. This disc member is mounted in the large central opening 53 in the lowermost row .otopenings shown .in Figure 8 with its slotted portions uppermost, said member being arranged to actuate the one of the switches 33 that is designatedv 5|a.

A strike disc member 54 also constituting a secondary switch control member smaller than but of similar construction to disc member 49 and representing the point at which a ball must roll to produce a strike,. is mounted in each of the smaller openings 55 in the lowermost row of openings as shown in Figures 2, 6 and 8 with its disc portion overlappingthe hub portionf of the disc member 5| but spaced therefrom whereby either member 54 may be depressed to actuate its corresponding switch that is designated 54a 10; 54b. (see Figured); without moving tlie memthe switch 54a or the switch 54b, as the case may be, thereby energizing the coil of the relay 80 so that the common, lead wire 99 from all of the armatures of relays 24toall of the lights 2| is opened and all of the lights are extinguished. At

the same time, the armature of the relay Bo is connected to line 83 whereby lamp 22 is illuminated to show the word strike.

However,-,should the ball roll over the head or apex disc member before entering the strike area, a strike will not be scored. In such event, when the ball strikes the wall [2 at the rear of the pit 4 it will actuate switch member 66, clos-- ing the same and thereby energizing relay device 14 which resets the parts for a possible sp'are; also, the parts will be set for a spare" by closingot switch 51a and consequent energization of relay is. The player rolling hissecond ball may roll to hit the-apex disc member or strike disc member which is now set up for a spare or he may aim to hit the remaining illumihated pins whichever in his judgment presents the best target. The present invention difiers from the regulation bowling technique in this particular because the present invention does not have the advantage of one pin downing surrounding pins. A spare will be scored when the first ball closes switch 51a and the second ball closes eitherthe switches 54a and 541), the relay device 85 thus being energized and drawing its armature into contact with line 89 to illuminate the lamp 23 to show the word spare. Obviously, there. are certain situations in regular bowling that cannot be duplicated with my game as described, for example, the scoring of a spare by rolling a ball over one of the end discs representing one pin left standing. :Furthermore, certain conditions arise that are not'found in a regular bowling game, for example, should a second ball close switch 5 3a or 5% after failure of the first ball to close any of the switches 5la, 54a or 54?), a strike would be scored; and

the regular bowling rules would be modified acv cordingly.

The various mechanisms are accessible for easy adjustment, servicing and replacement. A gauge may be used to keep the disc and switch members in constant adjustment if desired. 7

Changes in details of construction might be resorted to without departing from the .principle or scope of the invention and I desire to be -limited only'by the state of the prior art and theappended claims.

What Lclaim is:

1. In an electrical bowling game, an alley having a playing surface, an electrical circuit control means comprising primary switch control members each representing a bowling pin and arranged in simulation of the arrangement of bowling pins as set up in regulation bowling and disposed to be actuated by a ball rolled over said, playing surface, two secondary switch'control members disposed to be actuated by a ball rolled claim 1, additional secondary switch control 81 members to be engaged-by a ballrolled over said playing surface and located betweeni :sai'd primary switch control 'members that are arranged in spaced relation transversely of said playing surface, switch means controlled by actuation of said additional control members by a ball rolling over said playing surface into en-' gagement with said additional control members, and pin scoring circuits controlled by said switch means. .3. Anelectrical bowling game, comprising an alley having a playing surface, an electrical circuit control means including a main disc mem ber representing each bowling pin forming a portion of said playing surface and arranged with respect to the other disc members in simulation of the arrangement of bowling pins as set. up e in regulation bowling and disposed to be engaged by 'a ball rolled over said playing surface, a

the head pin at a zone corresponding to that over which a bowling ball must roll to hit regular bowling pins to cause a strike, a switch for each disc member actuated by therolling of a ball ,over said playing surface into contact with said disc member, and pin'and strike scor-i ing circuits'controlled by said switches.

4. An electrical bowling game as defined in claim 3', wherein said maindisc member that represents the head pin has notches and said smallerdisc members have portions nested in said notches.

5.An electrical bowling game as defined' ini claim 3, with the addition of small disc members located between said main disc members that are arranged in spaced relation transversely of said playing surface and disposed to be engaged by a-ball rolled over said playing surface, a switchmeans for each said small disc member actuated by't-he rolling of a ball over said playing surface into contact with said small disc member, and

pin scoring circuits controlled by said switch 7 means. i

"6. An electrical bowling game as defined in claim 5, wherein each main disc member has a notch in its edge and said smaller disc members" haveportions nested in the notch in the edge of each of the adjacent main disc members.

7. An electrical bowling game as defined inclaim 5, wherein each main disc member has a notch in its edge and said smaller disc members have portions nested in the notch in the edge" of each of the adjacent maindisc members and" overlapping in vertically spaced-relation thereto portions of the'adjacent main disc members sor. that said smaller disc members may be actuatedwithout moving their adjacent main disc'mem-H bers.

' 8. The electrical bowling game as defined int claim 3, wherein said alley includes a plate whose upper surface is fiush with the playing surface of the alley, and each disc' member has a disc part and ahub part, said plate having holes there-.- through in which the hub parts of said disc mom-"- bers are slidable', said plate also having recessesin its-upper surface each in register with one of.

said disc members is located.

9-."The electrical bowling game as defined i 7 claim 3,; with the addition of a spring normally.

76 actuating '"each' disc member to locate the top of the corresponding disc member substantially REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

10 UNITED STATES PATENTS flush with the surface of said alley and yield- Number Name Date able to permit said disc member to be depressed 1 431 695 severence et al Oct 10 1922 upon the rolling of a ball thereover. 5 Morrm June 1940 ROBERT CRONK' 5 -2,223,255 Koci Nov. 26, 1940 2,253,796 Livingston Aug. 26, 1941 

